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Build a retaining wall

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Do It Yourself or Not?

When it comes to choosing a retaining wall to hold back runoff in a terraced area, there are a lot of choices. Concrete walls are particularly popular because they are easy to use and come in a nice selection of natural shades and a variety of shapes and textures that enhance a landscape. Stacking concrete blocks with an interlocking lip or tongue-and-groove system is a good choice, especially if this is your first landscaping project.

Building a retaining wall is tough work that takes time. It involves laying out the design, digging a trench for the blocks and hauling all the materials, including the blocks, soil or pea gravel used for backfill.

A landscaper will charge $1,219, including labor and material, to build a 25-foot square concrete block retaining wall. You can buy the materials for $501, do it yourself and save 59 percent. If more than one level and terracing is needed, and if soil erosion is an issue, consider hiring a landscape architect to design the project. Specify that you want to use materials designed for a do-it-yourselfer, and get recommendations for the type of plantings to use. For a nominal fee, some garden and lawn centers offer this design service if you buy the materials from them.

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To find more DIY project costs and to post comments and questions, visit www.diyornot.com on your laptop, tablet or smartphone.

Pro Cost -- DIY Cost -- Pro time -- DIY Time -- DIY Savings -- Percent Saved

$1,219 -- $501 -- 12.3 -- 14.0 -- $718 -- 59 Percent

(c) 2018 GENE AND KATIE HAMILTON, DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.

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